Haven ....never again
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Stayed at a Haven site in Portmadog north wales a few years back.For starters no security on the gates so just drove in.A man on a tractor came up and looked at the paperwork and said use that pitch there.The pitch was a concrete oblong with a surrounding
area totally devoid of any grass just mudy puddles.When the van was positioned on the slab the mains bollard was so close i could,nt open the door too the Thetford cassette
.Lunatics running about at all hours almost decappitating themselves on my guy ropes.The only plus side was it was the entertainment which
was good for the grandchildren.Not been back.v9
V9, not sure how long ago you were there, but we were there in the spring and the (camping) site has been completely revamped...totally new in every aspect, from the pitches to the showers to the access roads etc....this (physically) is now a first class
site with great access to beaches and for cycling.again, we were out of season , site medium filled, but quiet, great (euro serviced) pitch and cheap as chips...
would definitely use this site again...at least as good (physically) as a CC site....
...but the rider is always the same....weekends and holidays will be overrun with families (ok of course, but just not our thing) and the prices will be much higher...
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It was a few years back BB but good to hear its been improved
v9
for comparison, im at the other end of the price spectrum now, as we have a few days at Concierge Camping just west of Chichester....only 15 pitches and pretty much 'millionaires' camping till the weekend....but is it worth 4 to 5 times our 'usual' Haven
rate, and twice what we just paid at Littlehampton....?to be decided.....
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Well we just got back from Haven touring site at Point Clear (St Osyth, Essex) and this topic caught my eye.
Former static van site. Ground mostly flat but very, very uneven - think 6" block under one steady. Although grass pitches, there's a lot of rocks and concrete just beneath the threadbear grass leftover from its former existance I suspect. Some say the
63 pitches have EHU and water. That's not strictly the case. The services bollards do have water 2 water taps each but these are for filling-up rather than connecting-up - which means that if you're unlucky, as we were, with 4 vans sharing a bollard 2 might
connect their water up leaving you to walk further until you find a free tap or disconnecting your neighbours water for a short while.Don't go expecting 'Caravan Club decorum' on-site - noisey neighbours kept us awake one night well in to the early hours, cars sped around the dirt tracks etc.
The single toilet block is best described as 'ageing and adequate', there's no real security, anyone can drive on and off the *vast* site unchallenged or un-hindered by a barrier.
We didn't avail ourselves of the bingo and free entertainment a 10 minute walk away as we were there to discover bits of the Essex coast we'd not visited before and, in that respect, it fulfilled its purpose but I wouldn't go back there, especially during
school holidays.Oh and access to the touring park is via the main entrance where you discover umpteen very caravan-unfriendly speed bumps along your route and the only way in and out of the site by road is via the lovely little village of St Osyth via what must me the smallest
and busiest crossroads you can imagine. It was a real challenge getting the 'van around a tight left turn.On a positive note, it was CHEAP at £40 for 5 nights for 3 adults and a dog and the lady who booked us in was very friendly and helpful.
PS Do we have a web-site anywhere for reviewing caravan sites Trip Advisor style and reviewing the things that caravanners are really interested in?
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Well, I'll let you know what the Weymouth site is like in due course. I'm going with an open mind.
There is only the facility to review CC sites and CLs on this website, Nigel.
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NigelH, you can leave a review on the ukcampsites.co.uk web site, where the site is listed.
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I only deal in actualities.Just returned from Haven - Pwllheli. Superb Euro pitches, Excellent very clean facility block. Far superior to anything I have seen on CC sites. No noise, well away from the Haven main site. Many of the vans on the pitches were
empty- guess like seasonal pitches at CC. We wre there out of school holidays and mid week. We could not extend over the week end as site full. Cost £9-80 per nights all in. Much better than the Cls we were thinking of using and far superior to our near CC
site at Lady Margaret Park, and about half the price.0 -
I only deal in actualities.Just returned from Haven - Pwllheli. Superb Euro pitches, Excellent very clean facility block. Far superior to anything I have seen on CC sites. No noise, well away from the Haven main site. Many of the vans on the pitches were
empty- guess like seasonal pitches at CC. We wre there out of school holidays and mid week. We could not extend over the week end as site full. Cost £9-80 per nights all in. Much better than the Cls we were thinking of using and far superior to our near CC
site at Lady Margaret Park, and about half the price.yes, Hafan y mor is a great site, how it should be done
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I only deal in actualities.Just returned from Haven - Pwllheli. Superb Euro pitches,
Excellent very clean facility block. Far superior to anything I have seen on CC sites. No noise, well away from the Haven main site. Many of the vans on the pitches were empty- guess like seasonal pitches at CC. We wre there out of school holidays
and mid week. We could not extend over the week end as site full. Cost £9-80 per nights all in. Much better than the Cls we were thinking of using and far superior to our near CC site at Lady Margaret Park, and about half the price.We were there a few weeks ago and that is exactly our thoughts.
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I only deal in actualities.Just returned from Haven - Pwllheli. Superb Euro pitches, Excellent very clean facility block. Far superior to anything I have seen on CC sites. No noise, well away from the Haven main site. Many of the vans on the pitches were empty- guess like seasonal pitches at CC. We wre there out of school holidays and mid week. We could not extend over the week end as site full. Cost £9-80 per nights all in. Much better than the Cls we were thinking of using and far superior to our near CC site at Lady Margaret Park, and about half the price.
Good to hear! We're there next weekend for a week
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Stayed at a Haven site in Portmadog north wales a few years back.For starters no security on the gates so just drove in.A man on a tractor came up and looked at the paperwork and said use that pitch there.The pitch was a concrete oblong with a surrounding
area totally devoid of any grass just mudy puddles.When the van was positioned on the slab the mains bollard was so close i could,nt open the door too the Thetford cassette.Lunatics running about at all hours almost decappitating themselves on my guy ropes.The only plus side was it was the entertainment which
was good for the grandchildren.Not been back.v9
They is a new site which is much better than the old site. The new site opened 2 years ago. We have stayed on this site a couple of times and cannot fault it yes it has concrete base's with a fine slate to put your awning on. Pitches are a little close to
each other but with a grass area behind you and a small grass area next to the awning. We were there in April this year £170.00 for 2 weeks. Would I go again most definitely yes. We are on the Hillhead Club Site in Brixham. Hardstandings only at the moment
£289.00 for 2 weeks too much money for this time of year.0 -
Briang- CC sites have deteriorated in that time scale. Pointed out this was a new developed site- As it is now not some fantasy of years ago.
..You mean some of the almost 350 + sites of both clubs,at being over 50yrs old are struggling to offer with the constraints of where they are, to find the way and space to be like the very few commercial sites that have coverted some of the very large
areas they have to touring pitches, which the cc or c&cc would, but are in a bit of a "rock & hard place"to cater for the ever increasing demand for pitches,0 -
I went to Lakeland with an open mind and the euro pitch we had was probably one of the best pitches I've ever been on in terms of space, access to water and waste etc. If either club managed pitches of that standard I'd not look elsewhere.
The standard pitches were not so good, grass which became waterlogged, lack of pitch definition etc. Even at the incredibly low price I would probably not have stayed.
Research is essential. There is no guaranteed standard. That is probably where the clubs do well
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And as said on another thread, if the Cl network is to survive I just hope that neither of the clubs go down the off peak "loss leaders" of some commercial organisations ,that draw in some, at the expence of those that try to keep prices reasonable All year
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the CL network and its pricing has nothing to do with the Clubs pricing or its understanding of the competition which is now out there in the form of Haven.
CLs dont need to get into price cutting to keep their attraction...merely offer simple, well kept sites, in great locations at an appropriate price level, and not get too hung up about implementing large infrastructure changes (like concrete roads/HS, shower blocks, and even EHU) at the owners expense.
this will only move the site away from the above ethos and move it closer in kind (and price) to other sites within the Club network...hence the OP in this thread...
others may do, but i dont want all the CL sites we visit to be 'mini' versions of Club sites whose only difference is the fact that there are only a maximum of 5 vans....
Haven is a different concept but, by whose flexibility in pricing, has found itself as a competitor (on price) to some CLs.
i realise the differences in concepts, but sometimes these sites (due to price and location) can be a serious 'non-peak' alternative to CLs...
...and with the sort of great site facilities mentioned earlier by one or two posters, they have also found themselves as direct competition to the Clubs....at half the price.
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And as said on another thread, if the Cl network is to survive I just hope that neither of the clubs go down the off peak "loss leaders" of some commercial organisations ,that draw in some, at the expence of those that try to keep prices reasonable All year
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The irony of so many CC members using Haven is that it was brought to our attention in the club Mag and members discounts, The club actually advertised a discount for us to use Haven!!. In all my vaning times I never considered Haven even with 2 sites quite
close to us until then. What superb offers I missed. Never heard of Sainsburys telling me to go and shop at Tesco0 -
Well, here we are back from the Haven experience at Seaview, Weymouth. Guess what? I'm with the OP - never, ever again!
The site as a whole was pretty much what I expected and being mid-week in October was quiet. The facility block was spotless and probably superior to CC standards. The CC offer which got me 3 nights for £21.99 would have been a bargain if we hadn't left after one night due to the appalling state of the pitches.
We had a Euro fully serviced pitch 7m x 7m. It was part concrete slab and part reinforced grass (some are part chippings on other sites). The problems started when we found there was insufficient room to manoeuvre onto the pitch without using the adjacent and opposite pitches. The concrete slab sloped and was only just big enough to get all four wheels on to. It was difficult to open the driver's door or locker doors due the the very close proximity of the hedge. Where would a caravanner place water containers? There was no room to walk behind the MH, again due to a close hedge and the fall in the ground. There was a corresponding rise in the ground at the front of the pitch. There was no way a van could overhang the HS as has been described earlier in this thread so size of units is definitely restricted here.
The worst aspect of our pitch, and others were the same, was that the reinforced 'grass' was reinforced mud. It was a complete mess, a total disgrace and not fit for purpose. I know that CC and other responsible operators would have taken such pitches out of service. I have never come across such a situation on a CC site or, indeed, any site.
I'm glad to report that the touring area was well away from the jammed in statics but it was close to the main complex building and we were disturbed by noise from the boiler house/plant room to the extent it kept us awake.
I know some people have had good Haven experiences in North Wales and the Lakes but others, including myself, have had awful experiences which makes the whole Haven concept unreliable.
I have never pretended that CC is perfect but, compared to Seaview, there is no contest. Those who knock CC sites should visit Seaview - it was an eye opener with regard to pitching conditions.
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well, i have used Seaview, in fact both Haven sites in Weymouth.
i cant say I found it so harrowing that we left (i think we had 3 days there) but i agree with the sizes of the pitches, although we managed to get our van on it ok and, while not the most spacious, i was certainly able to open a large garage door to get
our bikes out.our pals' van is slightly longer (at 7.70m) and they did find it tight.
i also agree with you regarding the pitch condition, again we were there in a lovely dry period and had no problems, but damp conditions might well have been an issue.
its not likely that we will return, we wanted to try it, and like you, have gained that experience.
certainly, it is not the most recently redevelped Haven touring areas, the ones that have been are a mile away from this.
again, agreed, its the consistency that might be missing....the modern ones are truly lovely to use, but no doubt, you will now be in the 'once bitten' category.
good effort for trying and reporting back, its just a shame that you didnt get to use one of the newer sites first, your view might well have been less disappointing.
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"i also agree with you regarding the pitch condition, again we were there in a lovely dry period and had no problems, but damp conditions might well have been an issue."
There you are, BB. Different conditions made your experience better than ours. Those pitches should not have been in use this week. If I could post pics on this forum you'd be able to see for yourself.
I said the site might suit some people and I'm pleased you were happy even though you're not likely to return.
Good effort? 8 out of 10, eh?
I'm glad we didn't use a newer site first as this would have been an even bigger disappointment. On the plus side, it led us to finding a superb commercial site near Wareham. Better than Hunters Moon for less money and a fully serviced pitch.
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So its the same as both of the Major players of sites provision, that an upgrade is being rolled out across their sites ,but as they have about thirty compared to the 300+ of the two clubs , they should in some peoples eyes be "better" sooner
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So its the same as both of the Major players of sites provision, that an upgrade is being rolled out across their sites ,but as they have about thirty compared to the 300+ of the two clubs ,
they should in some peoples eyes be "better" soonertrue, and the completed ones are better value far more often
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